On July 24, 2026, the International Criminal Court's member states voted 82-0 to remove chief prosecutor Karim Khan following a United Nations investigation that found he had engaged in an improper relationship with a junior staff member and obstructed her ability to seek redress. The dismissal arrives at a moment of acute vulnerability for the court, which is simultaneously facing a coordinated American campaign to dismantle it — a campaign partly animated by Khan's own pursuit of Israeli officials over alleged crimes in Gaza. In this convergence of internal misconduct and external assault, t
ICC votes to remove prosecutor Khan over sexual misconduct allegations
A junior ICC staff member was subjected to an improper sexual relationship and allegedly obstructed from pursuing her complaint.
The court faces dismantling as the man meant to pursue justice falls from within.
Mark
Why does it matter that Khan can't attend his own removal vote?
Mimi
Because it's a symbol of how entangled this has become with geopolitics. He's sanctioned by the US for investigating Israeli officials. He can't defend himself in person because of that same pressure. It makes the whole process look less like justice and more like a power play.
Mark
But the investigation itself—was it actually thorough?
Mimi
That's the real question. The UN investigation took over a year and gathered thousands of pages. But the first investigation, the one run by the ICC's own oversight body, fell apart when the alleged victim didn't participate. That's what people are angry about—the institution failed to protect her, then failed to investigate properly.
Mark
So the court is weakened now?
Mimi
Severely. You have the US openly trying to dismantle it. You have internal credibility problems. And you have a prosecutor removed for misconduct at the exact moment the court needs to be strong and unified. It's a perfect storm.
Mark
What happens to Khan now?
Mimi
He says he'll fight it legally, but nobody knows what that actually means. He's suspended from practicing law in the UK. He can't enter the US. His career as a prosecutor is over. The legal battle is probably about clearing his name, not getting his job back.
Mark
And the woman at the center of this?
Mimi
She's barely mentioned in any of this. She reported misconduct, allegedly faced obstruction, and now the institution that failed to protect her is in crisis. Her complaint became a weapon in a much larger fight about the court's future.
Il Polso
- An 82-0 vote by ICC member states delivered a decisive and humiliating end to Karim Khan's tenure, backed by over 5,000 pages of evidence gathered across thirteen months of investigation.
- A junior staff member at the heart of the case was subjected to an improper relationship and then allegedly blocked from filing a complaint — a betrayal of power that the court's own oversight body initially failed to adequately pursue.
- Khan, already sanctioned by the Trump administration and barred from entering the United States, could not even attend the vote that ended his career — a surreal emblem of how thoroughly his authority had collapsed.
- The United States is pressing a 'whole-of-government' campaign to dismantle the ICC, threatening visa bans, asset freezes, and diplomatic pressure on allies — and the internal scandal now hands critics fresh ammunition.
- Khan's legal team vows to challenge the removal through every available mechanism, but the court's supporters fear the reputational damage may already be too deep to quickly repair.
On July 24, 2026, the International Criminal Court's member states voted 82-0 to remove chief prosecutor Karim Khan following a United Nations investigation that found he had engaged in an improper relationship with a junior staff member and obstructed her ability to seek redress. The dismissal arrives at a moment of acute vulnerability for the court, which is simultaneously facing a coordinated American campaign to dismantle it — a campaign partly animated by Khan's own pursuit of Israeli officials over alleged crimes in Gaza. In this convergence of internal misconduct and external assault, the ICC confronts a question that institutions of justice have always had to answer: whether the pursuit of accountability for others can survive the failure to hold oneself accountable.
Karim Khan, the ICC's chief prosecutor since 2021, was removed from his position on July 24 after 82 of the court's 125 member states voted to dismiss him. A United Nations investigation had concluded that he engaged in an improper sexual relationship with a junior staff member and attempted to prevent her from filing a complaint. Khan has denied the allegations and intends to pursue legal challenges, though the avenues available to him remain uncertain.
The case had a complicated path to resolution. Initial allegations surfaced in May 2024, but the first investigation stalled when the alleged victim declined to participate. A second referral in October 2024 triggered a broader UN inquiry into both sexual misconduct and abuse of authority. Over thirteen months, investigators compiled more than 5,000 pages of evidence before a panel of three judges determined that Khan's conduct amounted to serious misconduct and a serious breach of duty. Khan had already been suspended in June and barred from practicing law in the United Kingdom while the Bar Standards Board conducts its own parallel inquiry.
The removal lands at a moment of profound institutional stress. The United States — not an ICC member — has declared a campaign to dismantle the court, threatening visa bans, asset freezes, and pressure on allies to withdraw. That campaign is partly driven by Khan's pursuit of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged crimes in Gaza — the very reason the Trump administration sanctioned Khan and barred him from entering the country, preventing him from attending his own removal vote in New York.
The scandal has also exposed weaknesses inside the court itself, with critics pointing to the initial mishandling of the investigation as evidence of deeper governance failures. Whether the ICC can restore its credibility while simultaneously resisting coordinated pressure from major powers is now the defining question facing an institution whose purpose is to hold others to account.
Karim Khan, the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor since 2021, was voted out of his position on July 24 after the court's member states determined he had engaged in an improper sexual relationship with a junior staff member and attempted to prevent her from filing a complaint. The vote was decisive: 82 of the 125 member nations present supported his removal. Khan has denied all allegations and signaled his intention to mount legal challenges, though the precise avenues available to him remain unclear.
The path to Khan's dismissal began in May 2024, when a third party reported allegations of sexual misconduct to the ICC. The court's Independent Oversight Mechanism opened an investigation, but it stalled when the alleged victim chose not to participate, and investigators concluded there was insufficient evidence to proceed. The case might have ended there, but in October 2024 a second referral emerged. This time the matter went to the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services, which launched a broader inquiry into both sexual misconduct and abuse of authority. Over thirteen months, from November 2024 through December 2025, investigators assembled more than 5,000 pages of evidence and testimony. A panel of three judges then reviewed the findings and concluded that Khan's conduct constituted serious breach of duty and serious misconduct.
Khan, a prominent British lawyer, was suspended from his role in June and has been on voluntary leave since May 2025. He is also barred from practicing law in the United Kingdom pending the Bar Standards Board's own investigation. He could not attend the vote in New York because the Trump administration has sanctioned him and barred him from entering the United States—a consequence of his pursuit of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged crimes in Gaza.
The timing of Khan's removal places enormous strain on an institution already under siege. The United States, which is not an ICC member, has launched what it describes as a "whole-of-government" campaign to dismantle the court "brick by brick," citing concerns about American sovereignty. Washington has promised visa bans, asset freezes, and diplomatic pressure on allies to withdraw from the court or reject its jurisdiction. Russia and Israel are also non-members, though the court can exercise jurisdiction over crimes committed by their nationals on the territory of member states.
The scandal has exposed fractures within the ICC itself. Critics argue that the initial investigation by the Independent Oversight Mechanism was mishandled, undermining confidence in the body tasked with policing the institution's own conduct. The broader institutional question now looms: whether the court can maintain credibility and independence as it faces coordinated pressure from major powers and grapples with internal governance failures. Khan's lawyers say they will challenge the removal decision through all available legal mechanisms, but the court's supporters fear the damage to its legitimacy may already be substantial. The controversy is unlikely to fade quickly, and the court's ability to pursue justice in the world's gravest conflicts may depend on how it responds to the crisis unfolding within its own walls.
Citazioni salienti
Khan has repeatedly denied all allegations and said he would challenge the removal decision through all available legal mechanisms.— Khan's legal team
The Court will continue to attach the utmost importance to maintaining a safe, inclusive, and respectful working environment for all personnel.— ICC statement
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Crime & Justice